Yahoo Lifestyle The popularity of Louis Vuitton's Neverfull proves that practicality rules
Sometimes, in fashion, the simplest-seeming designs are the ones that have the most longevity – the classics always win out. That is probably why one of Louis Vuitton’s most enduringly popular handbags is a timeless, heritage and actually practical design, the Neverfull, a tote bag that was created – as the name suggests – to be big enough to carry all of your essentials in, whether you’re heading to the office or the beach.
First launched in 2007, the Neverfull was an immediate hit, and remains so. When unfounded rumours swirled last year that the bag was going to be discontinued, there was a firestorm on social media, which led to a wait-list system, and added to the hype that already existed for the bag on resale sites. According to Vestiaire Collective, the style remains Louis Vuitton’s second most popular bag (after the Pochette) and it has an average of 800 daily searches on the site, while shopping platform Lyst has noted a huge spike in interest recently, with an increase of 355 per cent in product interactions month on month.
This falls in line with wider trends, which has seen high-fashion tote bags thriving. From Dior’s Book Tote to Celine’s Cabas and Saint Laurent’s Icare Maxi, plenty of luxury fashion houses have seen sales of their sturdy, practical offerings spike as consumers have moved towards practicality. For Louis Vuitton, this trend has seen increased interest in the Neverfull, but the bag has always been an undisputed icon of the house. It has been carried by everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Diane Kruger and has been reworked by the likes of Grace Coddington, Yayoi Kusama and Jeff Koons. It’s a permanent success story for the brand, and it all started with a very simple idea.
In 2007, the team decided that they needed a modern take on the multi-purpose shopper. “We didn’t have a bag for going to the beach, working, shopping, carrying baby equipment,” Nicholas Knightly, former director or leather goods design said in ‘Louis Vuitton City Bags: A Natural History’. “The Neverfull is all of that combined.”
It was designed with a simple silhouette in mind, but with technical measures so that it could carry as much as the user needs. Although the handles are slim, they are reinforced with double stitching and thick overstitched chapes which are able to carry more than 100 kilos of weight. The drawstrings on the side can be pulled to change the look of the bag, but they are also part of a technical system that enables the contents of the bag to be more secure once clipped together, and the tote comes with a detachable pouch which can be used as a pocket or carried as a clutch. And, the practicality does not end there. The bag is able to be folded down and flattened so it can fit tidily into a suitcase or trunk, meaning it can be easily taken away on trips.
Many of these characteristics are taken from the legacy of Louis Vuitton. The Neverfull has connections to various designs from the house’s history, including the Navy and the Laundry, both of which first launched in the 19th Century. It is little surprise then that the Neverfull has been such a success story for the house, truly representing what Vuitton is so well known for. But, the bag has also been able to tap into hype over the years, which has helped to keep it relevant, particularly through collectible Neverfulls designed by some of the most well-known artists in the world.
And, this September, Vuitton is continuing to evolve the Neverfull with the launch of a new iteration, the Neverfull Upside Down, which is a reversible version of the bag in both leather and canvas. For the house and its many fans, clearly practicality still rules.
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